I am Dead. Long Live Me.

There wasn't a funeral. There wasn't a wake. No one noticed and no one called to send their condolences. Why? Because for the world, nothing changed. No one knew that Matthew is no longer here, and that The Right Honorable Gentleman had taken his place.

When I stepped onto the Pacific Crest Trail on April 9, 2017, I kicked it. Well, that is, something inside me passed away. In one step, I was transfigured by a path made of nothing but dirt, water, and rocks. The path I walked elevated me into someone purpose-built to walk forever. At the time, I did not know this had happened. By the end of the trail, I was never more sure of it.

I may have stepped off the Pacific Crest Trail on September 30, 2017, but I haven't left the path. While the world orchestrates is own destruction, I will conspire with the path and plan my next steps. The Appalachian Trail is a 2,189 mile, continuous footpath spanning 14 states, from Georgia to Maine — and I intend to walk it.